So nearly...

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2011)

The Island, so nearly a great film, ends up merely a good film.
The first act is terrific. As we meet the inhabitants of this unexplained futuristic city, the puzzle of where, when, and how come is very pleasing. The most likely explanation seems to be some sort of riff on Logan's Run. Bits of the puzzle are supplied piecemeal, and each leaves us more puzzled than we were before.
Then act 2 kicks in, and the reveal isn't half as satisfying as the mystery which preceded it. However, it leads to some decent chase sequences, and Ewan McGregor and Steve Buscemi both get to have a little fun (not so with Scarlett Johansen, however, whose function is to serve as decoration, sounding board, light romantic interest, and occasional damsel in distress).
Act 3 simply wraps matters up and gives Sean Bean an opportunity to be the villain, which we already knew by then. Bean brings nothing more to his portrayal of the villain than he has brought to such parts many times before. Djimon Hounsou, however, lends a depth to a part which should have been one dimensional, and is probably the best thing in the film.
It passes a couple of hours well enough, but no better.